Chap. II. (1)

The principal Assertion concerning the Necessity of Mortification proposed to Confirmation. Mortification the Duty of the best [gap]elievers, Col. 3.5. 1 Cor. 9.27. Indwelling Sin alwayes abides: No Perfection in this Life. Phil. 3.12. 1 Cor. 13.12. 2 Pet. 3.18. Gal. 5.17. &c. The Activity of abiding sin in Believers: Rom. 7.23. Jam. 4.5. Heb. 12.1. Its Fruitfulness and Tendency. Every Lust aims at the height in its kind. The Spirit and new Nature given to contend against Indwelling Sin. Gal. 5.17. 2 Pet. 1.4, 5. Rom. 7.23. The fearfull Issue of the Neglect of Mortification. Rev. 3.2. Heb. 3.13. The first general Principle of the whole Discourse hence confirmed. Want of this Duty lamented.

HAving laid this Foundation, a brief Confirmation of the forementioned principal Deductions will lead me to what I chiefly intend. The first is,

That The choicest believers, who are assuredly freed from the condemning power of Sin, ought yet to make it their business all their dayes to mortifie the Indwelling power of Sin.

So the Apostle, Col. 3.5. Mortifie therefore your members, which are upon the earth. Whom speaks he to? such as were risen with Christ, vers. 1. such as were dead with him, vers. 3. such as whose Life Christ was, and who should appear with him in Glory, vers. 4. Do you mortifie; do you make it your daily work, be alwayes at it whilest you live, cease not a day from this work; be killing Sin, or it will be killing you; your being dead with Christ virtually, your being quickened with him, will not excuse you from this work. And our Saviour tells us, how his Father deals with every branch in him that beareth fruit, every true and living Branch; He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit, Joh. 15.2. He prunes it, and that not for a day or two, but whilest it is a branch in this world. And the Apostle tells you what was his practice, 1 Cor. 9.27. I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection. I do it (saith he) daily, it is the work of my Life, I omit it not; this is my Business. And if this were the work and business of Paul, who was so incomparably exalted in Grace, Light, Revelations, Enjoyments, Priviledges, Consolations, above the ordinary measure of Believers; where may we possibly bottom an Exemption from this Work and Duty whilest we are in this world. Some brief account of the Reasons hereof may be given.

1. Indwelling sin alwayes abides, whilest we are in this world, therefore it is alwayes to be mortified. The vain, foolish, and ignorant disputes of men, about perfect keeping of the Commands of God, of perfection in this Life, of being wholly and perfect[gap]y dead to sin, I meddle not now with. It is more than probable, that the men of those Abominations, never knew what belonged to the keeping of any one of Gods Commands; and are so much below perfection of degrees, that they never attained to a perfection of parts in Obedience, or universal Obedience in sincerity. And therefore many in our dayes who have talked of perfection, have been wiser, and have affirmed it to consi[gap]t in knowing no difference between good and evil. Not that they are perfect in the things we call good, but that all is alike to them; and the height of Wickedness is their Perfection. Others who have found out a new way to it, by denying original indwelling Sin, and a tempering the spirituality of the Law of God, unto mens carnal Hearts; as they have sufficiently discovered themselves to be ignorant of the Life of Christ, and the power of it in Believers, so they have invented a new Righteousness, that the Gospel knows not of, being vainly puffed up by their fleshly minds. For us, who dare not be wise above what is written, nor boast by

other mens lives of what God hath not done for us, we say, that Indwelling Sin lives in us in some measure and degree whilest we are in this world. We dare not speak as though we had already attained, or were already perfect, Phil. 3.12. our inward man is to be renewed day by day, whilest here we live, 2 Cor. 4.16. and according to the Renovations of the new, are the breaches and decayes of the old. Whilest we are here, we know but in part, 1 Cor. 13.12. having a remaining darkness to be gradually removed, by our growth in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Pet. 3.18. And the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit, so that we cannot do the things that we would, Gal. 5.17. and are therefore defective in our Obedience as well as in our Light, 1 Joh. 1.8. We have a body of death, Rom. 7.24. from whence we are not delivered, but by the death of our bodies, Phil. 3.21. now it being our Duty to mortifie, to be killing of Sin; whilest it is in us, we must be at work. He that is appointed to kill an Enemy, if he leave striking, before the other ceases living, doth but half his work. Gal. 6.9. Heb. 12.1. 2 Cor. 7.1.

2. Sin doth not onely still abide in us, but is still acting, still labouring to bring forth the deeds of the Flesh; When sin lets us alone, we may let Sin alone: But as Sin is never less quiet, than when it seems to be most

quiet; and its waters are for the most part deep, when they are still; so ought our contrivances against it to be; vigorous at all times, in all conditions, even where there is least suspition. Sin doth not only abide in us, but the Law of the members is still rebelling against the Law of the Mind, Rom. 7.23. and the Spirit that dwells in us lusteth to Envy, Jam. 4.5. It is alwayes in continual work, the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, Gal. 5.17. Lust is still tempting and conceiving sin, Jam. 1.14. In every Moral Action, it is alwayes either inclining to evil, or hindring from that which is good, or disframing the Spirit from Communion with God. It inclines to Evil; the evil that I would not, that I do, saith the Apostle, Rom. 7.19. whence is that? why because in me, that is, in my flesh dwelleth no good thing [gap] and it hinders from good; the good that I would do, that I do not, vers. 19. upon the same account, either I do it not; or not as I should; all my Holy things being defiled by this sin. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, that ye cannot do the things that ye would, Gal. 5.17. and it un[gap]rames our Spirit; and thence is called the sin that so easily besets us, Heb. 12.1. on which accoun[gap] are those grievous Complaints that the Apostle makes of it Rom. 7. So that sin is al[gap]yes acting, alwayes conceiving, alwayes seducing and tempting. Who

can say that he had ever any thing to do with God, or for God, that indwelling Sin had not an hand in the corrupting of what he did. And this trade will it drive more or less all our dayes; If then sin will alwayes Acting, if we be not alwayes Mortifying, we are lost Creatures. He that stands still, and suffers his Enemies to double blowes upon him without resistance, will undoubtedly be conquered in the issue: If Sin be subtil, watchfull, strong, and alwayes at work in the business of killing our S[gap]uls, and we be slothfull, negligent, foolish, in proceeding to the ruine thereof, can we expect a comfortable Event? There is not a day but sin soils, or is soiled; prevails, or is prevailed on; and it will be so whilest we live in this world. I shall discharge him from this Duty, who can bring sin to a Composition, to a cessation of Arms in this Warfare; if it will spare him any one day, in any one duty, (provided he be a person that is acquainted with the spirituality of Obedience, and the subtilty of sin) let him say to his Soul, as to this Duty, Soul take thy rest. The Saints whose Souls breath after deliverance from its perplexing Rebellion, know there is no safety against it, but in a constant Warfare.

3. Sin will not only be striving, acting, rebelling, troubling, disquieting, but it let alone, if not continually mortified, it will bring forth

great, cursed, scandalous, Soul-destroying sins. The Apostle tells us what the works and fruits of it are, Gal. 5 19, 20, 21. The works of the flesh are manifest; which are, Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, l[gap]sciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, [gap]mulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murthers, drunkenness, revellings, and such like. You know what it did in David, and sundry others. Sin aim[gap] alwayes at the utmost: every time it rises up to tempt or entice, might it have its own course, it would go out to the utmost sin in that kind. Every unclean Thought or Glance would be Adultery, if it could; every covetous Desire would be Oppression; every thought of Unbelief would be Atheism, might it grow to its head. M[gap]n may come to that, that sin may not be heard speaking a scandalous word in their hearts; that is, provoking to any great sin with scandal in its mouth; but every rise of Lust, might it have its course, would come to the height of V[gap]ll[gap]ny. It is like the Grave, that is never satisfied. And herein lies no small share of the deceitfulness of Sin, by which it prevails to the hardening of men, and so to the[gap]r ruine: H[gap]b. 3.13. It is mo[gap]e[gap]t as it were in its fir[gap]t motions and Proposals; but having o[gap]ce got sooting in the heart by them, it constantly makes good its ground, and presseth on to some farther degrees

in the same kind; This new acting and pressing forward, makes the Soul take little notice of what an entrance to a falling off from God is already made; it thinks all is indifferent well, if there be no farther progress; and so far as the Soul is made insensible of any sin, that is, as to such a sense as the Gospel requireth, so far it is hardned: but Sin is still pressing forward; and that because it hath no bounds but utter Relinquishment of God, and opposition to him; that it proceeds towards its height by degrees, making good the ground it hath got by Hardness, is not from its Nature, but its Deceitfulness. Now nothing can prevent this, but Mortification. That withers the Root and strikes at the Head of Sin every Hour, that whatever it ayms at, it is crossed in. There is not the best Saint in the world, but if he should give over this Duty would fall into as many cursed sins as ever any did of his kind.

4. This is one main reason why the Spirit and the new Nature is given unto us, that we may have a Principle within, whereby to oppose Sin and Lust: The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit: Well, and what then? Why the Spirit a[gap]so lusteth against the Flesh, Gal. 5.17. There is a propensity in the Spirit, or spiritual new Nature, to be acting against the Flesh, as well as in the Flesh to be acting against

the Spirit: So 2 Pet. 1.4, 5. It is our participation of the Divine Nature, that gives us an escape from the pollutions that are in the world through lust: and Rom. 7.23. there is a law of the mind, as well as a law of the members. Now this is, (1) The most Unjust and unreasonable thing in the world; when two Combatants are engaged, to bind one, and to keep him up from doing his utmost, and to leave the other at liberty to wound him at his pleasure. And, (2) The Foolishest thing in the world, to bind him who fights for our Eternal Condition, and to let him alone who seeks and violently attempts our everlasting ruine. The Contest is for our lives and souls. Not to be daily employing the Spirit and New Nature, for the Mortifying of Sin, is to neglect that excellent succour, which God hath given us against our greatest Enemy. If we neglect to make use of what we have received, God may justly hold his hand from giving us more. His Graces as well as his Gifts are bestowed on us to use, exercise, and trade with. Not to be daily mortifying sin, is to sin against the Goodness, Kindness, Wisdom, Grace, and Love of God, who hath furnished us with a Principle of doing it.

5. Negligence in this Duty cast the Soul into a perfect contrary Condition to that, which the Apostle affirms was his, 2 Cor. 4.16

Though our outward man perish, our inward man is renewed day by day. In these the Inward man perisheth, and the Outward man is renewed day by day. Sin is as the house of David, and Grace as the house of Saul. Exercise and success are the two main cherishers of Grace in the heart; When it is suffered to lye still, it withers and decayes; the things of it are ready to dye, Rev. 3.2. and Sin gets ground towards the hardening of the heart; Heb. 3.13. This is that which I intend; by the Omission of this duty, Grace withers, Lust flourisheth, and the Frame of the Heart growes worse and worse: and the Lord knows what desperate and fearful issues it hath had with many. Where Sin through the Neglect of Mortification gets a considerable Victory, it breaks the bones of the Soul, Psal. 31.10. Psal. 51.8. and makes a man weak, sick, and ready to dye, Psal. 38.3, 4, 5. that he cannot look up, Psal. 40.12. Isa. 33.24. and when poor Creatures will take blow after blow, wound after wound, foil after foil, and never rouse up themselves to a vigorous Opposition, can they expect any thing but to be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin; and that their Souls should bleed to death, 2 Joh. 8? Indeed it is a sad thing to consider the fearfull issues of this Neglect, which lye under our eyes every day. See we not those whom we

knew humble, melting, broken-hearted Christians, tender and fearfull to offend, zealous for God, and all his wayes, his Sabbaths, and Ordinances, grown, through a neglect of watching unto this Duty, earthly, carnal, cold, wrathfull, complying with the men of the world, and things of the World, to the Scandal of Religion, and the fearfull Temptation of them that know them? The truth is, what between placing mortification in a rigid stubborn Frame of Spirit, which is for the most part earthly, legal, censorious, partial, consistent with Wrath, Envy, Malice, Pride, on the one hand, and pretences of Liberty, Grace, and I know not what on the other, true Evangelical Mortification is almost lost amongst us, of which afterwards.

6. It is our Duty to be Perfecting Holiness in the fear of the Lord, 2 Cor. 7.1. To be growing in Grace every day, 1 Pet. 2.2. 2 Pet. 3.18. To be renewing our inward man day by day, 2 Cor. 4.16. Now this cannot be done without the daily Mortifying of sin: Sin sets its strength against every Act of Holiness, and against every degree we grow to. Let not that man think he makes any Progress in Holiness, who walks not over the bellies of his Lusts; He, who doth not kill Sin in his way, takes no steps towards his Journeyes End. He who

finds not opposition from it, and who sets not himself in every particular to its Mortification, is at peace with it, not dying to it.

This then is the first General Principle of our ensuing Discourse: Notwith[gap]tanding the meritorious Mortification (if I may so speak) of all and every Sin in the Cross of Christ; notwithstanding the real Foundation of universal Mortification laid in our first Conversion, by Conviction of Sin, humiliation for sin, and the Implantation of a new Principle, opposite to it, and destructive of it; yet Sin doth so remain, so act, and work, in the best of Believers, whilest they live in this world, that the constant daily Mortification of it is all their dayes incumbent on them. Before I proceed to the Consideration of the next Principle, I cannot but by the way complain of many Professors of these days; who instead of bringing forth such great and evident Fruits of Mortification, as are expected, scarce bear any Leaves of it. There is indeed a broad Light fallen upon the men of this Generation; and together therewith many spiritual Gifts communicated; which with some other Considerations have wonderfully enlarged the bounds of Professors and Profession; both they and it are exceedingly multiplyed and increased. Hence there is a noise